The present invention relates to a metal molding method which forms a metal molded body having a predetermined shape using a metal body, a metal molding machine and a metal molded body.
Conventionally, forging has been used as one of methods for forming a metal-made structure having a predetermined shape.
In this forging, using a mold having a molding surface which traces a desired outer surface, the metal body is drawn by hitting along the molding surface thus allowing the mold to have a predetermined shape.
In this manner, since the metal body is formed along the molding surface by hitting in forging, it is difficult to form the metal body into a relatively complicated shape. For example, to manufacture a cylindrical metal-made product by forging, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Hei5 (1993)-7922, a metal body having a cylindrical shape is preliminarily prepared and, then, this cylindrical metal body is forged to form a cylindrical body having a predetermined shape.
In this manner, when a molded body having a predetermined shape is formed by forging, it is necessary to preliminarily prepare a metal body having a shape which can be easily obtained thus giving rise to a drawback that a manufacturing cost is pushed up due to forming of the metal body to be forged.
Under such circumstances, inventors of the present invention have studied to reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the dependency of the metal body to be forged on shape and to reduce the manufacturing cost by allowing parts having irregular shapes to be integrally molded, and have arrived at the present invention.